Magic Moment

Stacey Rene Russell | Photo: Joey Shaw | February 21, 2013

Adam Rodriguez is no stranger to our shores. After 10 seasons on CSI: Miami as detective Eric Delko, he saw plenty of sand and surf (even though most of the drama was shot in L.A.). With a new FOX comedy series set to premiere this spring, we caught up with the dashing actor at the recent Chivas Brotherhood 1801 pop-up bar for a one-on-one on moxie, male bonding and Magic Mike 2.0.

Adam Rodriguez

So what was the deal with CSI: Miami hardly ever shooting here? [Laughs] I know! I would run into fans who were from Miami and they would say, ‘You filmed by my house!’ Depending on how excited they were when they told me determined whether I told them the truth or not.

Do you miss being on the series? I miss the people. I definitely miss the paycheck. And I hate that we didn’t have a good closure to the series. After 10 seasons, how many more dead bodies can you keep finding?

You’re coming back to TV this spring with a new series called Goodwin Games. What can you tell us about it? I can tell you it will be really funny. It’s with Becki Newton of Ugly Betty and from the creators of How I Met Your Mother. I’m thrilled to be part of it.

How did you get involved with Chivas as a brand ambassador? They called and said they were interested in a partnership.

There’s a very chivalrous aspect to the brand, don’t you think? Yes, it all boils down to that.

Are you chivalrous? I think so. I open doors. I buy flowers. I give everything I know how to give.

With all that swagger, no wonder you were cast in Magic Mike. Thank you. I feel like every guy in that movie had that quality.

Did you think the movie was going to be that huge? I think we all knew we had something special, [but] the end result far exceeded all my expectations.

How did the sequel come about? After it did as well as it did [the producers said,] ‘Want to do a two?’ And we were all like, ‘Of course!’ Honestly, I really can’t wait.

Neither can all the straight women and gay men of America. Ha! That’s nice to say. We’ll give them what they want.